One home gardener was recently having some trouble identifying two potentially invasive plants that had been taking over their yard, and they turned to the r/InvasiveSpecies subreddit for help.
"I have two vine plants I can't identify but they're taking over my yard…can anyone help identify?" the poster wrote. "I THINK the one in the last image is frost grape ([Vitis] riparia)? The other (which is the first three images) seems to have a lot of options."
The poster added that the plants seemed to be growing each year and noted they lived in Wisconsin.
The invasive species experts of the subreddit were somewhat divided, but some amount of consensus appeared to form around two invasives: burning bush and Oriental bittersweet.
"Upon review it looks like your entire hedge is burning bush. That's an entirely different situation. I recommend a professional's advice for next steps," wrote one commenter.
"First one is oriental bittersweet. … That's a massive infestation, so you will be dealing with it for many years. Just keep at it," wrote another, adding, "The second plant looks like a wild grape, which wouldn't be invasive."
While none of this is particularly good news for the original poster, they received a bunch of helpful advice for how to proceed now that they have a better idea of what they are dealing with.
Their entire ordeal is a good reminder of the long-term dangers of planting invasive species. Both bittersweet and burning bush, which are native to parts of Asia, were introduced to North America intentionally as ornamentals. However, outside their native ecosystems, they grow out of control, smothering other plants and outcompeting them for resources.
Whenever you are planting something in your garden, it is always a good idea to do the necessary research first to make sure that you are going with a native species that is already adapted to coexist with other species in your local ecosystem.
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